Here are some of the local and national blogs trying hard to drive the political debate this campaign season:
Coloradopols.com: As one local critic put it, the site will make 400 predictions and then be happy if three come true. But everyone on both sides of the aisle seems to read it, and its gambling-friendly format makes it readable. Current odds on governor’s race: Ritter 3-to-1, Beauprez 11-to-1.
Instapundit.com: Revered among Republicans for erudite, relatively restrained postings on national political developments, founder Glenn Reynolds has gradually built his site into a powerhouse. A University of Tennessee law professor, Reynolds writes that his chief interest is “the intersection between advanced technologies and individual liberty.”
Colorado.mediamatters.org: The local branch of an effective liberal watchdog group, Colorado Media Matters keeps careful track of incendiary claims or mistakes made in local newspapers and on local talk radio shows. It calls the offenders to task and seeks apologies, clarifications or corrections. The most egregious examples seem to come from the right, but the group’s advice about how to counter misinformation and become a regular talk show caller also would apply to those watch-dogging the left.
i2i.org: The Net house organ for The Independence Institute, with its pet issues railing against gun control, mass transit, uncontrolled immigration and what it sees as the nanny state. Talk radio regulars like Jon Caldara link to their favorite issues and various reports that support their arguments.
Talkingpointsmemo.com: Grew to fame in the 2004 election, as a more thoughtful, less-rabid version of the left-tilting DailyKos.com site. Joshua Micah Marshall is owner and lead writer, cutting and pasting links to national political news and providing quick commentary.
Politically-direct.blogspot.com: Though he seems to have avoided posting for a couple of weeks in the late August doldrums, former Colorado Republican official Rob Fairbank often writes longer posts that are a refreshing break from the few-words-and-a-link style of many blogs. Fairbank runs a political consulting firm, so it may be hard to tell where his opinions end and when his marketing begins.
Littlegreenfootballs.com: Claims to be independent and anti-dogmatic, but often leans to the right. What stands out is the author’s love of pop culture, with constant references to everything from pop songs to science fiction enlivening his debates with posters. He even throws in some DJ work, playing CDs to accompany the arguments when he has time to pick an album.|Michael Booth
